Unser off to fast start at Indy

Monday, May 6, 2002 | 10:46 a.m.

INDIANAPOLIS -- Two-time winner Al Unser Jr., a part-time Henderson resident, got off to a fast start on the first day of practice for the 86th running of the Indy 500 on May 26.

Unser posted the third fastest lap of opening day at 226.885 mph in the Corteco/Bryant Dallara/Chevrolet owned by Kelley Racing. The winner of the 1992 and 1994 500 is driving for the Kelley team for the first time at the 2 1/2-mile oval. Unser recorded his quickest lap on the 33rd of his 34 laps.

Paul Tracy of Las Vegas ran 44 laps Sunday and posted the 14th fastest lap of the day (224.891) in the Team Green 7-Eleven Dallara/Chevrolet.

Jimmy Vasser of Las Vegas went 224.825 in the Miller Lite/Rahal Letterman Racing Dallara/Chevrolet. He turned in seven laps in the team's primary car with a fast lap of 223.714. Vasser's fastest lap was 18th among 31 drivers on the track.

Meanwhile, Mark Dismore shook down a race car owned by Sam Schmidt of Las Vegas at 222.915, the 20th-fastest driver of the day.

A Sam Schmidt Motorsports-sponsored car, driven by 500 rookie Anthony Lazzaro, went 220.095, the 26th-fastest driver of the day.

John de Vries of Las Vegas was 30th-fastest at 206.410.